Call the Midwife (2012–…): Season 2, Episode 0 - Christmas Special - full transcript
After delivering a baby in a toilet Jenny is approached by a ragged old woman asking after the child's welfare. The nuns identify her as Mrs Jenkins, who lives in terrible poverty but refuses help. Eventually Jenny and Sister Evangelina get through to her and help her improve her life. Jenny is perplexed that Mrs Jenkins mistakes her for somebody called Rosie and uncovers a tragic set of events in the old lady's life before closure is achieved. Rehearsing for the local nativity play its director Chummy seeks the help of intelligent school leaver Lynette Duncan, unaware that the girl is heavily pregnant, ultimately giving birth but leaving the baby at the convent door. Chummy unites mother and child but the play seems doomed when its costumes are destroyed when a water pipe bursts. Fortunately the locals rally round to ensure that the show goes ahead.
Can I have a go?
Chestnuts, chestnuts!
All right, boys?
You all right?
'At Christmas we like to see things
in their proper place.
'We unwrap the ancient legends
and the oldest truths.
'We like our angels unchanged
and our rituals familiar.'
Chestnuts!
'We like the right faces
around the table,
'the right carols to be sung,
'the promise that this is how it is
and will always be.'
Happy Christmas, Nurse! Hello!
Mistletoe! Hello, Fred.
Merry Christmas to you.
Season's cheer and a ho-ho-ho!
'Because that is Christmas.
'The one still point
in a world forever turning.'
Hello, Nurse Lee.
Hello, Shirley. Merry Christmas.
Boys. Your antlers are
very big, aren't they?
Buy yourself some mistletoe!
Christmas cheer and a ho-ho-ho!
Buy yourself some mistletoe...
You got a hawker's licence
for that, Fred?
Don't want the costermongers
kicking off.
I can't just give it away.
I've been all round Epping Forest!
Proper countryside, that is.
I need danger money.
It's a shilling a bunch.
Sixpence. And a blind eye.
Christmas cheer and a ho-ho-ho!
Oh, sorry, Sister Evangelina,
I nearly forgot.
Half a pound of dolly mixtures,
as requested.
I requested barley sugar twists.
But it's Christmas.
I thought dolly mixtures
might be a bit more festive.
Oh, yes, very festive for
the child who's had his jab,
dithering over which one to take!
Meanwhile, the child behind works
himself into the heebie-jeebies,
and won't roll his sleeve up
for the needle! Sorry, Sister.
Afternoon. Ready for the off?
Make yourself useful.
Take all the jujubes out of there.
They're everyone's favourite, and
we don't want a riot on our hands.
After which you can give them
to Dr Turner, as a thank you
for setting all this up on the day
the kiddies have their concerts!
I hadn't much choice.
The national programme's
been rolling out too slowly,
and we've had half a dozen cases
in the district since November.
I've got the eights-to-elevens
booked for first thing in the New Year.
Hopefully we can avert an epidemic.
I can't believe he's getting married
in three days.
And to Sister Bernadette!
He really does look happy.
Men generally do when
they've got everything they want.
That's right,
get it all out your system!
Now. Who wants to go first, Dasher
or Dancer or Donner or Blitzen?
I want to go first! Me!
Yes. Father Christmas will
come and see Freddie. Yes, he will.
I can't tell you how glad I am
to see you!
I've been followed around all day
by the smell of young sir's vomit,
and I've just found out
it's in the turn-up of my trousers.
Guess what I've got behind my back?
Not the smallest idea,
but if it's a steak and kidney pie,
I shall love you forever.
Sorry.
Never mind.
Same sentiment applies.
Hello! Whose turn is it now?
Petticoat tails?
Another Yuletide gesture
from a grateful patient.
I thought you were doing
the polio vaccinations.
Finished. I need some addresses
for my house calls.
What are you doing?
I'm trying to bring on the hyacinth in
Sister Monica Joan's table decoration.
It's going to be all hands
to the pump on this one.
I told her they'd be too cold
on that sideboard. And damp.
The Christmas serviettes
were absolutely green with mould.
And have you seen the mushrooms
growing in the cloisters? Yes,
but don't tell Sister Monica Joan.
She'll be sprucing them up
with tinsel and some glitter.
Alec thinks we could be here
for another 18 months.
They're behind on
the rebuilding programme.
Until they catch up, they won't
knock Nonnatus down. Really?
We'd be none the wiser if your new
squeeze wasn't a council surveyor.
Oh, speaking of which...
He called and left a message.
Nonnatus House, midwife speaking.
Oh. Hello, Sergeant.
Dare one ask if you had any luck
with the estate agent?
Camilla, there are no family homes
to rent anywhere. I know.
But one mustn't give up hope!
Yes?
The station called.
There's been an incident
at the building site on Rake Street.
At least it's only round the corner.
Ah, Nurse Lee!
Our usual teatime appointment.
My dear Shelagh!
Hello, Sister Julienne.
It's so very good to see you.
The bride to be!
I was on my way to sit with Timothy
while he does his homework.
Dr Turner's out on call,
and my lodgings aren't far away.
Is there something very special
in that box?
My wedding dress.
I've just been to collect it. It's
knee length. Really quite simple.
And for that very reason,
you'll look exquisite in it.
Christmas Eve is a beautiful day
to be married.
It'll be a quiet ceremony.
Timothy will come with us, of course.
I understand. Nevertheless,
we'd hoped we'd see you more often.
I don't like to trouble you.
Nonnatus House is such a busy place.
We aren't too busy
to include you in our prayers.
That means a very great deal to me,
Sister. And I thank you for it.
Six days overdue.
If it hasn't come by Christmas,
I'll be skipping the sherry
and swigging castor oil.
Baby's head's well down
and nicely engaged.
It won't be long now.
Alan! You can come in.
Everything all right, Nurse?
Couldn't be better.
What about you? Are you ill in bed?
Oh, had a bout of malaria.
It flares up every now and then.
Did you pick it up
during National Service?
Yeah, Korea. Makes me sweat
like I don't know what,
but the doctor gives me
quinine pills.
I'll be fine in a day or two.
She's the one
who wants looking after.
Yvonne? She's in fine fettle.
She can potter about as normal.
Just stay close to home.
What if Yvonne has it
on Christmas Day?
What if there's no-one there to help?
It gives me nightmares.
Alan, Nurse doesn't want to hear
about your nightmares.
Just telephone Nonnatus House.
We're like the Windmill Girls -
we never close!
♪ While shepherds washed
their socks by night
♪ All seated round the tub... ♪
You blasphemous lot!
The nuns'll have us all
thrown out onto the street!
I doubt it.
We just sidled past the parlour
with these innocuous little bottles
of Babycham under our cardies
and they were all drinking
whisky sours and playing poker.
They're getting themselves
in the mood for carol singing!
We've got exactly ten minutes to
have a quick brightener ourselves.
Gosh. Do you suppose you ought to be
traipsing round hospitals and
clinics smelling of strong drink?
Babycham isn't a strong drink,
Chummy. It's made of pears.
There's no limit to her sophistication
now she's got a boyfriend!
Are you sure you won't come with us?
No, I've hung up
my carol singer's lantern.
Some things are worth
staying in for.
Cheers!
What do you think?
Why are you asking me?
I'm not a woman.
I'm not even a girl.
I needed a second opinion.
And I can't ask your father.
He's the groom, so it's unlucky.
Why isn't it white?
It's nearly white.
It's grey.
I wanted something... understated.
Oh. I heard a woman in the sweetshop
saying you were doing it
all hole and corner
because you'd been married before.
To Jesus. She said
you were like a divorced person.
You're doing that
in quite a cross way.
I am cross.
But not with you.
It's all right, Maggie.
Just breathe deeply.
Doctor has everything in hand.
Blade's in position.
Can I hear singing?
Yes.
That'll be something to tell baby,
won't it, in the years to come?
Now, here we go, now, breathe!
That's it, Maggie, now,
there we go! Push!
Push, there we go. Good girl!
♪ May we do
♪ And ever morn and day... ♪
♪ For thy parting
neither say nor sing... ♪
A little girl, Maggie.
Aren't you just the best thing
anyone ever got for Christmas?
Textbook forceps,
if I say so myself!
What was the problem?
Deep transverse arrest. Oh, dear!
We were all done and dusted
by the time the nuns got
onto Away In A Manger.
It's the first year I haven't
joined in the carol singing.
You've other things to think about.
I know.
I ordered your bouquet today.
White roses and carnations.
And freesias,
because the shop lady said a bride
should carry scented flowers.
Patrick,
that's terribly extravagant!
In the convent, we only had roses
on St Raymond's Feast Day.
Shelagh...
The Sisters ask after you every day.
It's not too late to invite them
to the wedding. Yes, it is.
I know I saw them all
at Freddie's christening.
But I just felt so... awkward.
They wouldn't want you
to feel like that.
They love you.
And I wish they didn't.
Because I left them
for something I loved more.
I can't get over the sense
that I've rejected them.
You'll feel better than this.
We'll find a way, I promise you.
There were rules
in the religious life.
But no-one ever told me
what the rules were afterwards.
I think perhaps
I have to write my own.
Oh, no...
Oh, no!
No!
I'm on my way!
Peter! Where's your key?
I'm here on official business.
Has the electricity gone off?
I'm sorry. I think a fuse blew
in Trixie's hairdryer!
That's the least of our worries.
Hello?
Jenny, get up and get dressed!
We've got to evacuate the building!
Why? What's the matter?
They've found an unexploded bomb.
What? Trixie?
It's right next to an old warehouse.
They found it when they were
underpinning the foundations.
It took hours for
the experts to arrive,
and now half the bloomin' Army's
on its way.
Why isn't there any electricity?
Oh. Precautionary measure.
There were exposed wires
in the immediate vicinity.
Peter, spare me the police jargon, and
shine your torch on something useful.
On what? The baby?
Bedside table.
Then I could find my glasses,
which would be a start!
Thank you.
Evacuate the building!
Evacuate the building, please!
I think the leccie's off.
There's an unexploded bomb
in the next street!
A bomb?
Wakey, wakey!
We have to evacuate the building!
All right! All right!
Keep your hair on! Come on, now.
You're sweating, Al.
It's... It's the malaria.
It's not. I know it's not.
Evacuate the building!
Keep it moving. Come along, now.
I have to say
I feel rather like Mary,
when Herod decreed
the cull of the first born
and she had to flee to Egypt
with the infant Jesus.
Where's Sister Monica Joan?
Oh, I reckon
I heard her in the kitchen.
Unless the rats are back.
With hindsight, I wish I'd sent her
to the Mother House
with the choir sisters
for Christmas.
She'll find it so distressing
being uprooted!
Out of the night that covers me
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods there be
For my unconquerable soul!
I hope that's a cake tin
underneath your scapula.
No, it is the hyacinths.
Which I did not care
to see abandoned!
That's it.
Make your way to
the Leopold Institute!
Keep moving, please.
Ladies and gentlemen, turn left
and make your way to
the Leopold Institute!
The Leopold Institute is
your designated rescue centre.
Er, stick together, young madams.
Where are the Sisters?
Sister Evangelina's gone on ahead.
The others are behind us.
More to the point,
what are you up to?
You're quite the dark horse, Fred!
I am, in fact - it seems to have
escaped your notice -
a Civil Defence Volunteer.
Observe, if you would, the uniform.
It's terribly smart.
Thank you, Nurse Miller.
Ladies and gentlemen,
turn left and make your way...
Do you suppose the lights will be on
when we get there?
I hope not.
I've still got my pin curls in.
The Leopold Institute is
your designated rescue centre.
Ladies and gentlemen,
turn left and make your way
to the Leopold Institute!
The Leopold Institute...
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!
Then again, as it's 3am,
maybe I should say, "Good morning".
Now, I want this hall
properly organised.
Is that the fastest you can move?
Or is there a switch for emergency
mode? This ain't the Blitz.
Never mind the technicalities.
Dozens of families are homeless,
and there'll be children
crying for their beds.
Now then, don't go putting
any Bourbons out.
They create expectations
we'll struggle to fulfil.
Shelagh?
I'm sorry to wake you, Patrick.
Any room at the inn?
Right...
Right!
A word of warning!
This is a civic emergency,
and not a football match.
Anyone that doesn't walk into the
Rescue Centre in an orderly manner
and behave with courtesy and
consideration will be disciplined.
By me.
Is that a threat or a promise?
Right! Come along.
Do come in! It's warm
and there are beds available.
Yvonne!
We won't sleep. I can't.
And I've been keeping him awake,
pacing up and down,
tidying and folding.
She needs to be at home.
This'll have to be your home
for now. It's not for long.
I'd so much rather you had my bed.
I can easily bunk down on here.
You'd not get a wink of sleep.
Your feet would be hanging
right over the end!
And it's only for the night.
Will we still be able to get
to the church if there's a bomb?
I hadn't thought of that!
The Parish Hall is cordoned off,
but the church is safe.
It was the first thing
I asked the policeman I saw.
Now nothing will stand
in the way of this wedding.
I won't allow it.
How many days to the wedding?
Two!
Spot on.
It's worth checking, after
a stressful experience like this.
The most important thing now
is you get as much rest as you can.
They still do Scottish dancing
on a Thursday night.
A kiddie's class, like we did? Yeah.
You should have brought your kilt.
My maiden name was McKenzie.
This is where we met when
we were seven. I was eight.
I'd suggest you go into the hall
now, and get yourselves settled.
Do we have to?
Well, there are still
a few camp beds available.
I can make sure you two
get a cosy corner somewhere.
We'd get more sleep in here.
And it's nearer the lav,
which suits me, obviously.
If we get bored, we can do a bit
of Scottish dancing. Can't we, Al?
All right, I'll get
a couple of camp beds sent in.
Ssh.
I see the Lone Ranger's
come looking for Trigger.
Peter? She's in the far corner.
Thank you.
Look who's here. Hey.
Ssh.
Ssh. He must wonder
what on earth's going on.
Poor little soldier.
You wouldn't look in the holdall,
see if I brought the gripe water?
One had all manner of fantasies
about young sir's first Christmas.
None of them
seem to have quite come true.
Never mind.
I don't. Just having him
in my arms is miracle enough.
No gripe water,
but you've packed
your Akela hat and whistle.
Well, the Scouting motto
is "Be prepared".
Ssh.
No...
No... No.
Fixed bayonet. Fixed!
It's all right.
Alan!
It's all right.
Damp.
At least it makes me feel at home.
Now then, let us say Lauds, Sister.
It will prepare us for the day.
I do not care to.
Since Sister Bernadette departed,
when we sing, there is silence
at the heart of every note.
Our prayers falter,
like a wing with a feather gone.
We take flight, but we do not soar.
Music is the vehicle, Sister,
not the journey.
Our destination does not change.
Sister Bernadette veered
very far from course.
She forswore
the succour of the spirit
for the slaking of the flesh,
and I am haunted by the thought
that she confused her appetites.
The only appetites
we need to concern ourselves with
are those of the people
in the hall out there.
They will be hollering
for their breakfast any minute!
But you have said what we all feel.
Which is that we miss our Sister.
♪ Hark, now hear the angels sing
♪ A new king born today
♪ And man will live... ♪
Would you like some toast, Timothy?
Yes. That would be smashing!
The damage to this area
in the Blitz was colossal.
The next street was flattened
by a direct hit.
This bomb only caused limited damage,
but it was overlooked.
How? Didn't somebody count them,
keep track?
Well, they tried,
but there was just so many.
In the chaos afterwards, the original
crater was just patched over.
I said no unauthorised personnel!
Mr Jesmonde's from the council, sir.
Oh. Sorry.
Saw the Hush Puppies,
thought you were a journalist.
No, sir.
No, the only report I'm filing
is for the Council Architects'
department.
Be keeping your lot busy
if this goes pop.
You'll be rebuilding the whole
ruddy street from scratch.
Iced buns!
Iced buns!
Iced buns donated by a kindly baker.
Tuck in. Working men get first pick!
Never mind working men.
What about growing boys?
Oh, the kindly baker sent
some dry bread.
I can't eat dry bread!
I'll make you eat it,
if you don't behave.
And I don't want you or anyone else
being profligate with the milk!
That crate should've lasted
the duration.
The children keep asking for it,
Sister Evangelina.
They're not going to get rickets
if they go without for half a day!
We've got mothers in here
with nerves like cat meat.
Two hours' sleep, can't fetch a clean
nappy, can't rinse out a wet one.
That milk is for their tea.
Pack, pack, pack!
I want all members of the 5th
Poplar Cubs to come here immediately
and form a line.
Now, I want you all to put
one of these scarves on.
I've decided that as we find ourselves in
rather peculiar circumstances,
we're going to treat it all
as a terrific challenge.
Like camping, or
cycling proficiency.
And everyone who conducts themselves
according to the rules of scouting
and thinks of others before himself
will be awarded a Star Badge.
What about the Christmas party?
It was meant to be tomorrow.
Yes, I know that.
it will have to be postponed
because we can't get into the
Parish Hall. Can't we have it here?
Jack, I don't think
worrying about the Christmas party
counts as thinking of others
before ourselves!
Nurse Miller is quite right.
Now, before we start,
what sort of Cubs are we?
We're Wolf Cubs, not Reindeer Cubs.
Reindeers don't have cubs,
they have calves.
So, antlers off, please, Nigel,
or you won't get a hockey stick.
Have there been any
new developments, sir?
Sorry. I'm under orders
not to give details.
Will people be able to go home
for Christmas? Excuse me.
You are impeding Officers of the Law
from going about their duty
during a civic emergency!
Get back to your camping stool.
We'll alert you when you're wanted.
Captain Goodacre asked for you
to report directly to him
at the crater, Constable.
Thanks, Fred.
Superintendent sends his compliments.
What's the problem, sir?
Looks like Santa left
a surprise in our stocking!
And I don't mean
two walnuts and a tangerine.
This one's a double-fuser.
One ill-timed tap and the whole
ruddy thing will go sky-high.
I'm not going near it. The best man
for the job is semi-retired
and in the Scottish Borders.
The soonest he can get here
is tomorrow.
The authorities are aware
that you want to get home,
but the bomb has to be treated
as live until proven otherwise!
The rescue centre will remain open,
and the WVS and the Sisters of
St Raymond Nonnatus... Trixie.
..will be providing refreshments
for another night!
Good grief, Yvonne, you don't
look at all comfortable!
It's like there's a hand
inside the bottom of my back,
and every so often it just gives
a really hard squeeze.
It might well be the beginnings
of labour. And about time, too.
Perhaps you'd like to
pop outside for a bit.
There's tea, and I think I spied
some Custard Creams.
Can't I stay here?
We don't have any secrets, nurse.
He'll look away.
Won't ya?
No! No, please. I told you the
rules. You're meant to hit the ball!
That wasn't very nice!
Well, if full-blown labour
is a blizzard,
I think those twinges are just
the first few snowflakes.
I reckon I'm relieved.
I want to have it in my own bed.
Course you do.
None of us know when we'll see
our own beds again, that's the trouble.
For two pins, I'd detonate
that wretched bomb myself!
One quick blast...
Mr Bridges?
Mr Bridges?
We need to make sure you don't
need medical attention.
Jenny. Speak softly.
What's his name? Alan.
Alan?
You can come out now.
It's safe.
Alan, it's safe, I promise.
Alan, it's all right.
I think you'll get away
without having to have stitches.
Beastly old red stuff's
not oozing quite so fast.
Blood on my hands, eh?
My father fought in Mesopotamia.
When I was told
where I was being posted...
..we didn't even know
where Korea was.
We had to go to the library
and look in an atlas.
Never thought I'd have to kill a man.
I was Reemy, I-I fixed spark plugs.
But the Chinese...
They never stopped coming.
We needed all the fire power
we could raise.
Then they came at night.
They came so close, we
had to use our bayonets.
It was like...
carving meat...
in the dark.
Blood dries on khaki.
You can't get it out.
And when you sweat, it smells
like... liver in a butcher's.
Can you smell it now, Alan?
I can always smell it...
when my nerves are bad.
Alan. No-one wants to hear
about your nerves.
Sorry.
I ought to have more self-control.
I don't ever want to hear you
say that again!
Never seen such a young man
so broken.
Nor a couple so close
and so distressed.
They've been together since they
were children and this should be the
sweetest chapter of their lives!
Alan needs psychiatric treatment.
We should talk to Dr Turner after Christmas
and arrange for him to get assessed.
After Christmas?
After Christmas is a week away.
He can't sleep for more
than hour at a time
and he smells blood
every moment he's awake!
Now, listen here, old thing.
Sister Evangelina turned her back on
the milk crate just for long enough
for me to smuggle a pint away,
under the cover of my cardigan.
I'm going to make us
all a mug of Horlicks.
For pity's sake, Chummy!
You may have given up nursing but surely you
don't believe Horlicks can cure everything?!
Horlicks.
They're getting out the burns kit
in case you throw it at me.
People called it shell shock
in the Great War.
Battle fatigue,
in the war after that.
My mother just called it
the horrors.
My father didn't speak of it at all.
At home... he didn't have to.
Outside...
..nobody did.
You didn't tell me that. Exactly.
My father had appalling nightmares
all his life.
One of my earliest memories was
of waking in the dark to hear him
screaming in his sleep.
I wasn't supposed to know.
Mother looked after him at night.
And in the daytime, it was my turn.
When you were a child?
BECAUSE I was a child!
I used to be able to crank up
my "dimples and sunshine" routine
and be extra-specially
funny and enchanting
for exactly as long as it took
to make him smile.
I'm sorry, Trixie.
That's an intolerable burden
to place on someone so young.
Yes.
Yet...
one way or another -
roll of drums...
..it made me the person I am today.
And it helped HIM.
How can it help Alan,
do you suppose?
We have to give him hope.
We have to show him
something bigger than the horrors...
Something that can
wash away the blood.
Doctor is out on a house call,
Nurse Noakes.
Do you want to step
into the sitting room and wait?
I was actually hoping to see you.
And I'm no more "Nurse Noakes" these
days than you're Sister Bernadette.
I suppose not.
I don't suppose you're up
for doing an old pal
and a lot of small boys a favour?
No skulking around the chairs, Gary,
waiting for your chance!
Be careful with the baby, Jack.
He'll bring his milk up.
I want everyone dancing
all around the room!
It's only me, Mrs Goldman!
Remember to lock
the door, Alec. All right...
Up you get.
This way, she only hears
one set of footsteps.
Do you think any less of me because
I'm petrified of my landlady?
No. I'm in awe of your daring
and bravado.
And, frankly, grateful for a cup of Nescafe.
There's only tea at the rescue centre.
Can I tempt you to a Garibaldi?
One of our special biscuits?
I could eat the whole packet!
Oh, I can't tell you how much
I'm loving this quiet.
And smelling your cologne, instead
of stale bodies and old plimsolls.
What time do you have to go back?
In about an hour or so.
Sooner, if Mrs Goldman stages
a raid on your room.
The perils of living in digs, eh?
I live in a convent, Alec.
You'll get no sympathy from me!
Are you looking forward to coming
for Christmas dinner? Absolutely.
The Sisters couldn't invite you fast enough when
I told them your parents live in Ceylon.
I've bought a new bow tie
and a bottle of Tio Pepe.
Ha-ha! I'll have to warn them
in advance.
They can dust off
the sherry glasses!
Are you sure you don't want to
come here with the girls?
If I stay in Mrs Goldman's good books
she might let me put a capon in her oven...
No, Alec!
The nuns'll be heartbroken.
And besides, I've already washed
and ironed all the Christmas
serviettes, so I want you to
appreciate my handiwork. Understood.
Nonnatus House is your home now,
isn't it? Yes.
We might not get another Christmas
there if it's demolished.
Sorry.
I'll forgive you.
If you pass me a Garibaldi.
Pack, pack, pack!
Now it's time to get back
to the rescue centre!
You heard Akela! I'm sure nobody
wants a pillowcase full of cinders!
Come on, lads!
One sweet each and then everyone is
to follow me, and if you all behave
we will take a detour past the
cordon so you can see the bombsite.
Merry Christmas. Come on, boys.
Chop chop, Jack.
'Tis the season to be jolly!
The party gave me a headache.
What are you doing, Timothy?
I'm looking at my tongue.
The cherryade turned it red.
Yvonne?
It's all right.
There's nothing happening.
Just couldn't sleep.
Well, that's quite normal
at this stage.
It's usually Alan
tossing and turning.
How is he?
Exhausted, I reckon.
Gets him like this once in a while.
Malaria brings it on.
Or bad things happening.
We manage.
You really understand him,
don't you?
He understands me.
We do most things together.
Always did.
Ever since Scottish dancing.
Except when he went to Korea.
I always think... if I could've
gone, if it had been me, too...
I wish I could've shared
the things that hurt him.
Cos then I could share the things
that hurt him now.
And the pain would be halved.
Cos that's what sharing does.
That's what love does.
Yes.
Here we go, chaps. Sir. Sir.
Major Fawcett.
Looking very good, sir,
if I may say.
Couldn't quite do all the buttons up. Rather
too much pipe and slippers, I'm afraid.
Comes to us all. Yes.
If we're lucky.
A man? In a delivery room?
A man present at the birth
of his child.
Alan and Yvonne have shared
everything that matters
since they were tiny children,
so why shouldn't they share the most
profound and precious thing of all?
Nurse Lee,
quite apart from any other concerns,
Alan Bridges is emotionally unwell.
But by seeing his baby being born
and supporting Yvonne,
it could really help him.
Your concern does you credit,
but he will be helped in due course,
and in the proper way.
I'm sorry, Sister, I really am,
but in the modern world,
who's to say what's the proper way?
Well, it's not dragging
a man in where he doesn't belong!
We think he does belong there.
He's weak, and ashamed,
and he needs to know
he has the strength to support
his wife, and protect his child.
And what about the mother, Nurse?
What about your patient?
I think, deep down,
she needs to know that too!
Oh, you do, do...
Nurse Lee, and Nurse Franklin.
I suggest you both go
and look at the log book.
However upside
down the world seems to be,
we still have calls to make
and patients to look after.
♪ O little town of Bethlehem
♪ How still we see thee lie... ♪
Sing out, Jack!
Show the little ones how it's done.
♪ Above thy deep
and dreamless sleep... ♪
Urgh!
Oh, dear.
One last quick visit
to the surgery,
then it's the barber's for us two.
Meanwhile, Auntie Shelagh's
gone up west.
Something to do with her
outfit for the wedding.
Women.
Eat up and get dressed, son.
Hello. Turner speaking.
I see...
I have to go
to the rescue centre.
I'll be back as soon as I can.
But what about the barber's? You
said we were going to go together.
And you said I could have Brylcreem.
We'll go tomorrow,
first thing in the morning.
And tonight I will take you
for a fry-up, at Capriani's caff.
It can be our stag do.
Stag do?
Well, you are going to be my best
man, aren't you?
Really?
I need somebody to keep me in order.
Shiny shoes, ironed shirt,
best bib and tucker.
I wouldn't have anyone else.
Once upon a time,
we thought the 17 Type fuse had
a maximum life of 80 hours.
What we didn't realise was that
the clocks were often faulty.
If they jammed, and the bomb was
preserved in the cold,
the electrical charge wouldn't
last for hours, but years.
I once saw one go off so viciously
and with so little warning
that we found my sergeant's tunic
button embedded in a door two streets away.
Nothing else was left.
It's all right, Jack.
Doctor will be finished in a moment.
Can you wiggle your toes for me?
You were right to send for me.
Keep him isolated,
while I arrange an ambulance.
Just so you know,
we do part exchange,
if you want to push the boat out
and go for something fancier.
Have you considered
ballerina length?
You've got a lovely pair of ankles.
You really ought to be showing them
off, maybe with a satin stiletto?
I'm not sure.
Is it usual,
for a bride to go off her dress?
It happens.
But once you do a bit of prodding,
you usually find that
what's really going on is that
they've gone off the groom.
Would you put the original dress
back in its box, please?
There's plenty of stock
you haven't looked at yet.
We've got three designs inspired
by Princess Grace of Monaco,
though we normally only recommend
those for the, er, taller bride.
No. Thank you.
As you wish.
Polio?
We won't know for sure
until after the lumbar puncture.
But half the children still aren't
vaccinated, and in overcrowded
conditions like these,
the virus could spread quickly.
It could spread like wildfire.
I'm calling the Chief Medical
Officer to say we want them
all back in their own homes,
and the vaccinations expedited.
I wonder if you're dithering
because you came in on your own.
Most people bring their mothers.
My mother died when I was a child.
That's a shame.
Brides need mothers.
How else are you going to
get your veil on straight?
I'm wearing a hat, not a veil.
Oh.
Have you got any sisters?
No.
Oh.
I'm sorry, this is urgent.
I'm trying to avert
a potential epidemic.
'Would you like to hold?' No. I
would like to be connected, please.
Hello?
Timothy?
Timothy!
Timothy?
Wake up.
Timothy, dearest.
Can you sit up for me?
Timothy. I need you to sit up.
Come on. Stir your stumps.
Can't.
Timothy, can you wiggle your toes?
Stand back, please, Mother.
Please. I'm a trained nurse.
I've seen polio before.
Let's leave the diagnosis
to the doctors, shall we?
I keep thinking of all the things
I should've done.
Or shouldn't have done.
The things I should have spotted
but I didn't.
Your immunities protected him
throughout infancy
and early childhood.
He carried them with him,
like a shield, for years.
But immunity wears off.
And you are not to blame.
But I'm not his mother.
I should have taken greater care,
not less.
If you are not immediate family,
I'm afraid you shouldn't be in here.
There are rules, and as a nurse,
you should know that.
I'll be a footstep away. That's all.
He can't clear his throat!
You must leave.
Shelagh! I'm sorry.
I'm so, so sorry.
Are you the father?
Yes.
The machine is breathing for him.
He's not currently able to do that
on his own.
I understand. I'm his GP, too.
Of course.
You sent in the other young lad.
Jack Smith?
Polio. Mild dose.
He's out of bed and giving cheek.
Timothy?
Timothy?
I suggest we take it
one hour at a time.
He may recover the ability
to breathe.
Respiration is not always
permanently impaired.
I know that.
I know all the facts, but...
Just now, they're no help to me
at all.
♪ In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust
♪ Let me never be ashamed
♪ Deliver me in Thy righteousness
♪ Into Thy hands I commend my spirit
♪ Thou hast redeemed me
O Lord God of truth.
♪ Bow down Thine ear to me
Deliver me speedily
♪ Be Thou my strong rock
For an house of defence to save me
♪ For Thou art my rock
and my fortress
♪ O most loving God
♪ Therefore, for Thy name's sake
♪ Lead me and guide me
♪ Pull me out of the net
that they have laid privily for me
♪ For Thou art my strength
♪ Make Thine face to shine upon me
♪ In my hour of need. ♪
You're to stay here tonight.
In the morning, I will telephone
the vicar and tell him
that your wedding has been postponed
for several weeks, and why.
What about the witnesses? And the
flowers? Patrick ordered roses.
I will deal with all of that, too.
It will be no trouble.
Your plans were so simple.
I kept everything as small
and quiet as I could.
Is that what you really wanted?
I don't know.
I know I couldn't quite face
the fact that it was happening.
And now it isn't,
and I think my heart is breaking.
Your marriage will take place.
It is meant to.
We will pray for your new family
in the meanwhile,
especially for Timothy.
I'm so very glad that you came
to us.
Are you?
Did you believe for one moment that
we wouldn't want you here tonight?
That we wouldn't welcome you
with open arms?
I turned my back on you, Sister.
I walked away.
I became someone else.
No, you didn't, Shelagh.
You found joy.
And I've never questioned it.
There is no joy now.
But there is love.
And it's Christmas.
Have courage.
Good luck, Sir.
Thank you for all your help.
Sir.
Right back, now.
I'm on my own,
and that's as it should be.
I've been having these
bloomin' twinges since yesterday.
It can't be normal.
It's perfectly normal, I'm afraid.
Your body just seems to be
going into labour rather slowly.
I want to go home.
I want to have it there.
I want you to have it there too,
Yvonne.
You won't send me
to the maternity home? No.
Nurse Franklin and I
have plans for this baby.
So you tell it to stay put!
It's ticking.
Get down! Get down!
Get down!
All's well that ends well.
Well, that brought back
a few memories.
Man the urns!
We shall all be wanting tea!
You all right, Chummy?
I don't know.
I don't know what's
happened to Peter.
Help!
Help!
Alan! Stay calm.
Never mind me. Help her.
Yvonne, breathe through it.
Breathe through it.
That's it, breathe.
Please don't send him out the room.
Don't worry. We won't.
..near your house, was it?
Ladies and gentlemen!
The bomb has been detonated, and the
damage was not as great as we had feared.
The Army are lifting the cordon,
street by street.
You're heading home!
Merry Christmas!
It's scarcely a five-minute walk.
You may well find you get all the way home
without having a single contraction.
Can you hear my slippers
squelching?
They're sopping wet with tea.
Believe me, sweetie, you're lucky they're
not sopping wet with something else.
Trixie!
Don't look so shocked, Alan.
You'll hear a lot
worse before the day is out.
So, Sister, all present and correct.
These bulbs are very
far from present and correct.
I had hoped they might perceive
the frisson of the dynamite.
Organic matter ought to be
receptive to vibrations.
Oh, heavens to Murgatroyd! What now?
Mr Jesmond?
We were told it was safe to return.
Sorry, Sister, but the building
was already fragile.
Fragile, my foot. They told us it was
falling down when we moved in,
and it's still standing!
It was the impact of the bomb.
The explosion was angled in such a way that
it ripped right through the foundation.
It could come down at any minute.
Been a while since I've wanted
Adolf Hitler's guts for garters.
But I'd cheerfully
dance on his grave today.
Poplar was doing so well.
It was recovering from the war,
it was being rebuilt.
There was so much hope,
so much work for us to do.
Still is.
Always will be.
He'll have a reason for all of this.
Brylcreem.
Brylcreem?
Fetch the nurse.
Good. I can't do it!
Yes, you can. You can.
Push for me. That's it. Good. Good.
Come on!
Good girl. Good girl.
Well done. Your baby's head is born.
You've done the hard part
now, Yvonne.
The next big push,
we're going to meet this baby.
Are you ready?
The baby's turning.
Can you feel that, Yvonne?
I'm so proud of you.
Here we go.
Good. That's good. Good. Good.
Keep going.
There's a girl. Keep going.
Good girl!
This is your baby, Alan.
This blood is beautiful.
We... made this.
We did it together.
Am I breathing, Dad?
Yes, son.
Yes. You are.
In you come, sisters.
'We ate our turkey at
separate tables that year.
'Our community was scattered,
but not to the four winds.
'We were offered refuge,
'separately and together
in temporary lodgings across Poplar.
'Christmas turned to New Year,
'and New Year to early spring.
'And it was Chummy
who found her new home first.
'Whilst the rest of us hoped,
'and resumed our work
as best we could.
'And when Nonnatus House was
demolished,
'we heard its dying fall
only in the distance.'
I think lace is perfect for a bride.
You won't regret it for a moment.
I couldn't be more thrilled,
but what about my grey dress?
Fear not. It'll have its moment.
I never saw a more perfect
going-away outfit.
I've never worn
nail polish in my life.
It's only pink,
and we're only practising.
Open wide.
And bat.
You get it, Chummy.
You're the lady of the house.
Ah, beautiful.
Now, be bold. Glasses or no glasses?
Glasses.
I'd quite like to see the groom.
I had failed to
divine their purpose.
They have bloomed when the Lord
ordained that they should do so.
Timothy, are you ready?
I'm scared people will laugh.
Weddings are about love, Tim.
And love is... beautiful,
and serious,
and if people smile,
it's because they're glad.
Now, did you remember the rings?
They're in my pocket.
Because I remembered something too.
Brylcreem.
Why don't you give him to me?
'Sometimes,
Christmas is not a still point.
'Snow swirls and melts away,
'and the day doesn't offer up
the peace that we imagined.
'But in the darkness, seeds awake,
'and green shoots unfurl
towards the light.'
You should be giving me away.
You should be walking with me.
You belong to no-one but yourself.
And you know exactly
where you're going.
♪ You are the breathless hush... ♪
'Fate might shake us,
but our roots run deep.'
Ready?
'And we have love to water them.
'And so we bloom
where we are planted.'
♪ You are the angel glow... ♪
'Turning our faces to the sun.'
♪ That lights a star
♪ The dearest things I know
♪ Are what you are
♪ Someday
♪ My happy arms will hold you
♪ And someday I'll know
♪ That moment divine
♪ When all the things you are
♪ Are mine
Chestnuts, chestnuts!
All right, boys?
You all right?
'At Christmas we like to see things
in their proper place.
'We unwrap the ancient legends
and the oldest truths.
'We like our angels unchanged
and our rituals familiar.'
Chestnuts!
'We like the right faces
around the table,
'the right carols to be sung,
'the promise that this is how it is
and will always be.'
Happy Christmas, Nurse! Hello!
Mistletoe! Hello, Fred.
Merry Christmas to you.
Season's cheer and a ho-ho-ho!
'Because that is Christmas.
'The one still point
in a world forever turning.'
Hello, Nurse Lee.
Hello, Shirley. Merry Christmas.
Boys. Your antlers are
very big, aren't they?
Buy yourself some mistletoe!
Christmas cheer and a ho-ho-ho!
Buy yourself some mistletoe...
You got a hawker's licence
for that, Fred?
Don't want the costermongers
kicking off.
I can't just give it away.
I've been all round Epping Forest!
Proper countryside, that is.
I need danger money.
It's a shilling a bunch.
Sixpence. And a blind eye.
Christmas cheer and a ho-ho-ho!
Oh, sorry, Sister Evangelina,
I nearly forgot.
Half a pound of dolly mixtures,
as requested.
I requested barley sugar twists.
But it's Christmas.
I thought dolly mixtures
might be a bit more festive.
Oh, yes, very festive for
the child who's had his jab,
dithering over which one to take!
Meanwhile, the child behind works
himself into the heebie-jeebies,
and won't roll his sleeve up
for the needle! Sorry, Sister.
Afternoon. Ready for the off?
Make yourself useful.
Take all the jujubes out of there.
They're everyone's favourite, and
we don't want a riot on our hands.
After which you can give them
to Dr Turner, as a thank you
for setting all this up on the day
the kiddies have their concerts!
I hadn't much choice.
The national programme's
been rolling out too slowly,
and we've had half a dozen cases
in the district since November.
I've got the eights-to-elevens
booked for first thing in the New Year.
Hopefully we can avert an epidemic.
I can't believe he's getting married
in three days.
And to Sister Bernadette!
He really does look happy.
Men generally do when
they've got everything they want.
That's right,
get it all out your system!
Now. Who wants to go first, Dasher
or Dancer or Donner or Blitzen?
I want to go first! Me!
Yes. Father Christmas will
come and see Freddie. Yes, he will.
I can't tell you how glad I am
to see you!
I've been followed around all day
by the smell of young sir's vomit,
and I've just found out
it's in the turn-up of my trousers.
Guess what I've got behind my back?
Not the smallest idea,
but if it's a steak and kidney pie,
I shall love you forever.
Sorry.
Never mind.
Same sentiment applies.
Hello! Whose turn is it now?
Petticoat tails?
Another Yuletide gesture
from a grateful patient.
I thought you were doing
the polio vaccinations.
Finished. I need some addresses
for my house calls.
What are you doing?
I'm trying to bring on the hyacinth in
Sister Monica Joan's table decoration.
It's going to be all hands
to the pump on this one.
I told her they'd be too cold
on that sideboard. And damp.
The Christmas serviettes
were absolutely green with mould.
And have you seen the mushrooms
growing in the cloisters? Yes,
but don't tell Sister Monica Joan.
She'll be sprucing them up
with tinsel and some glitter.
Alec thinks we could be here
for another 18 months.
They're behind on
the rebuilding programme.
Until they catch up, they won't
knock Nonnatus down. Really?
We'd be none the wiser if your new
squeeze wasn't a council surveyor.
Oh, speaking of which...
He called and left a message.
Nonnatus House, midwife speaking.
Oh. Hello, Sergeant.
Dare one ask if you had any luck
with the estate agent?
Camilla, there are no family homes
to rent anywhere. I know.
But one mustn't give up hope!
Yes?
The station called.
There's been an incident
at the building site on Rake Street.
At least it's only round the corner.
Ah, Nurse Lee!
Our usual teatime appointment.
My dear Shelagh!
Hello, Sister Julienne.
It's so very good to see you.
The bride to be!
I was on my way to sit with Timothy
while he does his homework.
Dr Turner's out on call,
and my lodgings aren't far away.
Is there something very special
in that box?
My wedding dress.
I've just been to collect it. It's
knee length. Really quite simple.
And for that very reason,
you'll look exquisite in it.
Christmas Eve is a beautiful day
to be married.
It'll be a quiet ceremony.
Timothy will come with us, of course.
I understand. Nevertheless,
we'd hoped we'd see you more often.
I don't like to trouble you.
Nonnatus House is such a busy place.
We aren't too busy
to include you in our prayers.
That means a very great deal to me,
Sister. And I thank you for it.
Six days overdue.
If it hasn't come by Christmas,
I'll be skipping the sherry
and swigging castor oil.
Baby's head's well down
and nicely engaged.
It won't be long now.
Alan! You can come in.
Everything all right, Nurse?
Couldn't be better.
What about you? Are you ill in bed?
Oh, had a bout of malaria.
It flares up every now and then.
Did you pick it up
during National Service?
Yeah, Korea. Makes me sweat
like I don't know what,
but the doctor gives me
quinine pills.
I'll be fine in a day or two.
She's the one
who wants looking after.
Yvonne? She's in fine fettle.
She can potter about as normal.
Just stay close to home.
What if Yvonne has it
on Christmas Day?
What if there's no-one there to help?
It gives me nightmares.
Alan, Nurse doesn't want to hear
about your nightmares.
Just telephone Nonnatus House.
We're like the Windmill Girls -
we never close!
♪ While shepherds washed
their socks by night
♪ All seated round the tub... ♪
You blasphemous lot!
The nuns'll have us all
thrown out onto the street!
I doubt it.
We just sidled past the parlour
with these innocuous little bottles
of Babycham under our cardies
and they were all drinking
whisky sours and playing poker.
They're getting themselves
in the mood for carol singing!
We've got exactly ten minutes to
have a quick brightener ourselves.
Gosh. Do you suppose you ought to be
traipsing round hospitals and
clinics smelling of strong drink?
Babycham isn't a strong drink,
Chummy. It's made of pears.
There's no limit to her sophistication
now she's got a boyfriend!
Are you sure you won't come with us?
No, I've hung up
my carol singer's lantern.
Some things are worth
staying in for.
Cheers!
What do you think?
Why are you asking me?
I'm not a woman.
I'm not even a girl.
I needed a second opinion.
And I can't ask your father.
He's the groom, so it's unlucky.
Why isn't it white?
It's nearly white.
It's grey.
I wanted something... understated.
Oh. I heard a woman in the sweetshop
saying you were doing it
all hole and corner
because you'd been married before.
To Jesus. She said
you were like a divorced person.
You're doing that
in quite a cross way.
I am cross.
But not with you.
It's all right, Maggie.
Just breathe deeply.
Doctor has everything in hand.
Blade's in position.
Can I hear singing?
Yes.
That'll be something to tell baby,
won't it, in the years to come?
Now, here we go, now, breathe!
That's it, Maggie, now,
there we go! Push!
Push, there we go. Good girl!
♪ May we do
♪ And ever morn and day... ♪
♪ For thy parting
neither say nor sing... ♪
A little girl, Maggie.
Aren't you just the best thing
anyone ever got for Christmas?
Textbook forceps,
if I say so myself!
What was the problem?
Deep transverse arrest. Oh, dear!
We were all done and dusted
by the time the nuns got
onto Away In A Manger.
It's the first year I haven't
joined in the carol singing.
You've other things to think about.
I know.
I ordered your bouquet today.
White roses and carnations.
And freesias,
because the shop lady said a bride
should carry scented flowers.
Patrick,
that's terribly extravagant!
In the convent, we only had roses
on St Raymond's Feast Day.
Shelagh...
The Sisters ask after you every day.
It's not too late to invite them
to the wedding. Yes, it is.
I know I saw them all
at Freddie's christening.
But I just felt so... awkward.
They wouldn't want you
to feel like that.
They love you.
And I wish they didn't.
Because I left them
for something I loved more.
I can't get over the sense
that I've rejected them.
You'll feel better than this.
We'll find a way, I promise you.
There were rules
in the religious life.
But no-one ever told me
what the rules were afterwards.
I think perhaps
I have to write my own.
Oh, no...
Oh, no!
No!
I'm on my way!
Peter! Where's your key?
I'm here on official business.
Has the electricity gone off?
I'm sorry. I think a fuse blew
in Trixie's hairdryer!
That's the least of our worries.
Hello?
Jenny, get up and get dressed!
We've got to evacuate the building!
Why? What's the matter?
They've found an unexploded bomb.
What? Trixie?
It's right next to an old warehouse.
They found it when they were
underpinning the foundations.
It took hours for
the experts to arrive,
and now half the bloomin' Army's
on its way.
Why isn't there any electricity?
Oh. Precautionary measure.
There were exposed wires
in the immediate vicinity.
Peter, spare me the police jargon, and
shine your torch on something useful.
On what? The baby?
Bedside table.
Then I could find my glasses,
which would be a start!
Thank you.
Evacuate the building!
Evacuate the building, please!
I think the leccie's off.
There's an unexploded bomb
in the next street!
A bomb?
Wakey, wakey!
We have to evacuate the building!
All right! All right!
Keep your hair on! Come on, now.
You're sweating, Al.
It's... It's the malaria.
It's not. I know it's not.
Evacuate the building!
Keep it moving. Come along, now.
I have to say
I feel rather like Mary,
when Herod decreed
the cull of the first born
and she had to flee to Egypt
with the infant Jesus.
Where's Sister Monica Joan?
Oh, I reckon
I heard her in the kitchen.
Unless the rats are back.
With hindsight, I wish I'd sent her
to the Mother House
with the choir sisters
for Christmas.
She'll find it so distressing
being uprooted!
Out of the night that covers me
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods there be
For my unconquerable soul!
I hope that's a cake tin
underneath your scapula.
No, it is the hyacinths.
Which I did not care
to see abandoned!
That's it.
Make your way to
the Leopold Institute!
Keep moving, please.
Ladies and gentlemen, turn left
and make your way to
the Leopold Institute!
The Leopold Institute is
your designated rescue centre.
Er, stick together, young madams.
Where are the Sisters?
Sister Evangelina's gone on ahead.
The others are behind us.
More to the point,
what are you up to?
You're quite the dark horse, Fred!
I am, in fact - it seems to have
escaped your notice -
a Civil Defence Volunteer.
Observe, if you would, the uniform.
It's terribly smart.
Thank you, Nurse Miller.
Ladies and gentlemen,
turn left and make your way...
Do you suppose the lights will be on
when we get there?
I hope not.
I've still got my pin curls in.
The Leopold Institute is
your designated rescue centre.
Ladies and gentlemen,
turn left and make your way
to the Leopold Institute!
The Leopold Institute...
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!
Then again, as it's 3am,
maybe I should say, "Good morning".
Now, I want this hall
properly organised.
Is that the fastest you can move?
Or is there a switch for emergency
mode? This ain't the Blitz.
Never mind the technicalities.
Dozens of families are homeless,
and there'll be children
crying for their beds.
Now then, don't go putting
any Bourbons out.
They create expectations
we'll struggle to fulfil.
Shelagh?
I'm sorry to wake you, Patrick.
Any room at the inn?
Right...
Right!
A word of warning!
This is a civic emergency,
and not a football match.
Anyone that doesn't walk into the
Rescue Centre in an orderly manner
and behave with courtesy and
consideration will be disciplined.
By me.
Is that a threat or a promise?
Right! Come along.
Do come in! It's warm
and there are beds available.
Yvonne!
We won't sleep. I can't.
And I've been keeping him awake,
pacing up and down,
tidying and folding.
She needs to be at home.
This'll have to be your home
for now. It's not for long.
I'd so much rather you had my bed.
I can easily bunk down on here.
You'd not get a wink of sleep.
Your feet would be hanging
right over the end!
And it's only for the night.
Will we still be able to get
to the church if there's a bomb?
I hadn't thought of that!
The Parish Hall is cordoned off,
but the church is safe.
It was the first thing
I asked the policeman I saw.
Now nothing will stand
in the way of this wedding.
I won't allow it.
How many days to the wedding?
Two!
Spot on.
It's worth checking, after
a stressful experience like this.
The most important thing now
is you get as much rest as you can.
They still do Scottish dancing
on a Thursday night.
A kiddie's class, like we did? Yeah.
You should have brought your kilt.
My maiden name was McKenzie.
This is where we met when
we were seven. I was eight.
I'd suggest you go into the hall
now, and get yourselves settled.
Do we have to?
Well, there are still
a few camp beds available.
I can make sure you two
get a cosy corner somewhere.
We'd get more sleep in here.
And it's nearer the lav,
which suits me, obviously.
If we get bored, we can do a bit
of Scottish dancing. Can't we, Al?
All right, I'll get
a couple of camp beds sent in.
Ssh.
I see the Lone Ranger's
come looking for Trigger.
Peter? She's in the far corner.
Thank you.
Look who's here. Hey.
Ssh.
Ssh. He must wonder
what on earth's going on.
Poor little soldier.
You wouldn't look in the holdall,
see if I brought the gripe water?
One had all manner of fantasies
about young sir's first Christmas.
None of them
seem to have quite come true.
Never mind.
I don't. Just having him
in my arms is miracle enough.
No gripe water,
but you've packed
your Akela hat and whistle.
Well, the Scouting motto
is "Be prepared".
Ssh.
No...
No... No.
Fixed bayonet. Fixed!
It's all right.
Alan!
It's all right.
Damp.
At least it makes me feel at home.
Now then, let us say Lauds, Sister.
It will prepare us for the day.
I do not care to.
Since Sister Bernadette departed,
when we sing, there is silence
at the heart of every note.
Our prayers falter,
like a wing with a feather gone.
We take flight, but we do not soar.
Music is the vehicle, Sister,
not the journey.
Our destination does not change.
Sister Bernadette veered
very far from course.
She forswore
the succour of the spirit
for the slaking of the flesh,
and I am haunted by the thought
that she confused her appetites.
The only appetites
we need to concern ourselves with
are those of the people
in the hall out there.
They will be hollering
for their breakfast any minute!
But you have said what we all feel.
Which is that we miss our Sister.
♪ Hark, now hear the angels sing
♪ A new king born today
♪ And man will live... ♪
Would you like some toast, Timothy?
Yes. That would be smashing!
The damage to this area
in the Blitz was colossal.
The next street was flattened
by a direct hit.
This bomb only caused limited damage,
but it was overlooked.
How? Didn't somebody count them,
keep track?
Well, they tried,
but there was just so many.
In the chaos afterwards, the original
crater was just patched over.
I said no unauthorised personnel!
Mr Jesmonde's from the council, sir.
Oh. Sorry.
Saw the Hush Puppies,
thought you were a journalist.
No, sir.
No, the only report I'm filing
is for the Council Architects'
department.
Be keeping your lot busy
if this goes pop.
You'll be rebuilding the whole
ruddy street from scratch.
Iced buns!
Iced buns!
Iced buns donated by a kindly baker.
Tuck in. Working men get first pick!
Never mind working men.
What about growing boys?
Oh, the kindly baker sent
some dry bread.
I can't eat dry bread!
I'll make you eat it,
if you don't behave.
And I don't want you or anyone else
being profligate with the milk!
That crate should've lasted
the duration.
The children keep asking for it,
Sister Evangelina.
They're not going to get rickets
if they go without for half a day!
We've got mothers in here
with nerves like cat meat.
Two hours' sleep, can't fetch a clean
nappy, can't rinse out a wet one.
That milk is for their tea.
Pack, pack, pack!
I want all members of the 5th
Poplar Cubs to come here immediately
and form a line.
Now, I want you all to put
one of these scarves on.
I've decided that as we find ourselves in
rather peculiar circumstances,
we're going to treat it all
as a terrific challenge.
Like camping, or
cycling proficiency.
And everyone who conducts themselves
according to the rules of scouting
and thinks of others before himself
will be awarded a Star Badge.
What about the Christmas party?
It was meant to be tomorrow.
Yes, I know that.
it will have to be postponed
because we can't get into the
Parish Hall. Can't we have it here?
Jack, I don't think
worrying about the Christmas party
counts as thinking of others
before ourselves!
Nurse Miller is quite right.
Now, before we start,
what sort of Cubs are we?
We're Wolf Cubs, not Reindeer Cubs.
Reindeers don't have cubs,
they have calves.
So, antlers off, please, Nigel,
or you won't get a hockey stick.
Have there been any
new developments, sir?
Sorry. I'm under orders
not to give details.
Will people be able to go home
for Christmas? Excuse me.
You are impeding Officers of the Law
from going about their duty
during a civic emergency!
Get back to your camping stool.
We'll alert you when you're wanted.
Captain Goodacre asked for you
to report directly to him
at the crater, Constable.
Thanks, Fred.
Superintendent sends his compliments.
What's the problem, sir?
Looks like Santa left
a surprise in our stocking!
And I don't mean
two walnuts and a tangerine.
This one's a double-fuser.
One ill-timed tap and the whole
ruddy thing will go sky-high.
I'm not going near it. The best man
for the job is semi-retired
and in the Scottish Borders.
The soonest he can get here
is tomorrow.
The authorities are aware
that you want to get home,
but the bomb has to be treated
as live until proven otherwise!
The rescue centre will remain open,
and the WVS and the Sisters of
St Raymond Nonnatus... Trixie.
..will be providing refreshments
for another night!
Good grief, Yvonne, you don't
look at all comfortable!
It's like there's a hand
inside the bottom of my back,
and every so often it just gives
a really hard squeeze.
It might well be the beginnings
of labour. And about time, too.
Perhaps you'd like to
pop outside for a bit.
There's tea, and I think I spied
some Custard Creams.
Can't I stay here?
We don't have any secrets, nurse.
He'll look away.
Won't ya?
No! No, please. I told you the
rules. You're meant to hit the ball!
That wasn't very nice!
Well, if full-blown labour
is a blizzard,
I think those twinges are just
the first few snowflakes.
I reckon I'm relieved.
I want to have it in my own bed.
Course you do.
None of us know when we'll see
our own beds again, that's the trouble.
For two pins, I'd detonate
that wretched bomb myself!
One quick blast...
Mr Bridges?
Mr Bridges?
We need to make sure you don't
need medical attention.
Jenny. Speak softly.
What's his name? Alan.
Alan?
You can come out now.
It's safe.
Alan, it's safe, I promise.
Alan, it's all right.
I think you'll get away
without having to have stitches.
Beastly old red stuff's
not oozing quite so fast.
Blood on my hands, eh?
My father fought in Mesopotamia.
When I was told
where I was being posted...
..we didn't even know
where Korea was.
We had to go to the library
and look in an atlas.
Never thought I'd have to kill a man.
I was Reemy, I-I fixed spark plugs.
But the Chinese...
They never stopped coming.
We needed all the fire power
we could raise.
Then they came at night.
They came so close, we
had to use our bayonets.
It was like...
carving meat...
in the dark.
Blood dries on khaki.
You can't get it out.
And when you sweat, it smells
like... liver in a butcher's.
Can you smell it now, Alan?
I can always smell it...
when my nerves are bad.
Alan. No-one wants to hear
about your nerves.
Sorry.
I ought to have more self-control.
I don't ever want to hear you
say that again!
Never seen such a young man
so broken.
Nor a couple so close
and so distressed.
They've been together since they
were children and this should be the
sweetest chapter of their lives!
Alan needs psychiatric treatment.
We should talk to Dr Turner after Christmas
and arrange for him to get assessed.
After Christmas?
After Christmas is a week away.
He can't sleep for more
than hour at a time
and he smells blood
every moment he's awake!
Now, listen here, old thing.
Sister Evangelina turned her back on
the milk crate just for long enough
for me to smuggle a pint away,
under the cover of my cardigan.
I'm going to make us
all a mug of Horlicks.
For pity's sake, Chummy!
You may have given up nursing but surely you
don't believe Horlicks can cure everything?!
Horlicks.
They're getting out the burns kit
in case you throw it at me.
People called it shell shock
in the Great War.
Battle fatigue,
in the war after that.
My mother just called it
the horrors.
My father didn't speak of it at all.
At home... he didn't have to.
Outside...
..nobody did.
You didn't tell me that. Exactly.
My father had appalling nightmares
all his life.
One of my earliest memories was
of waking in the dark to hear him
screaming in his sleep.
I wasn't supposed to know.
Mother looked after him at night.
And in the daytime, it was my turn.
When you were a child?
BECAUSE I was a child!
I used to be able to crank up
my "dimples and sunshine" routine
and be extra-specially
funny and enchanting
for exactly as long as it took
to make him smile.
I'm sorry, Trixie.
That's an intolerable burden
to place on someone so young.
Yes.
Yet...
one way or another -
roll of drums...
..it made me the person I am today.
And it helped HIM.
How can it help Alan,
do you suppose?
We have to give him hope.
We have to show him
something bigger than the horrors...
Something that can
wash away the blood.
Doctor is out on a house call,
Nurse Noakes.
Do you want to step
into the sitting room and wait?
I was actually hoping to see you.
And I'm no more "Nurse Noakes" these
days than you're Sister Bernadette.
I suppose not.
I don't suppose you're up
for doing an old pal
and a lot of small boys a favour?
No skulking around the chairs, Gary,
waiting for your chance!
Be careful with the baby, Jack.
He'll bring his milk up.
I want everyone dancing
all around the room!
It's only me, Mrs Goldman!
Remember to lock
the door, Alec. All right...
Up you get.
This way, she only hears
one set of footsteps.
Do you think any less of me because
I'm petrified of my landlady?
No. I'm in awe of your daring
and bravado.
And, frankly, grateful for a cup of Nescafe.
There's only tea at the rescue centre.
Can I tempt you to a Garibaldi?
One of our special biscuits?
I could eat the whole packet!
Oh, I can't tell you how much
I'm loving this quiet.
And smelling your cologne, instead
of stale bodies and old plimsolls.
What time do you have to go back?
In about an hour or so.
Sooner, if Mrs Goldman stages
a raid on your room.
The perils of living in digs, eh?
I live in a convent, Alec.
You'll get no sympathy from me!
Are you looking forward to coming
for Christmas dinner? Absolutely.
The Sisters couldn't invite you fast enough when
I told them your parents live in Ceylon.
I've bought a new bow tie
and a bottle of Tio Pepe.
Ha-ha! I'll have to warn them
in advance.
They can dust off
the sherry glasses!
Are you sure you don't want to
come here with the girls?
If I stay in Mrs Goldman's good books
she might let me put a capon in her oven...
No, Alec!
The nuns'll be heartbroken.
And besides, I've already washed
and ironed all the Christmas
serviettes, so I want you to
appreciate my handiwork. Understood.
Nonnatus House is your home now,
isn't it? Yes.
We might not get another Christmas
there if it's demolished.
Sorry.
I'll forgive you.
If you pass me a Garibaldi.
Pack, pack, pack!
Now it's time to get back
to the rescue centre!
You heard Akela! I'm sure nobody
wants a pillowcase full of cinders!
Come on, lads!
One sweet each and then everyone is
to follow me, and if you all behave
we will take a detour past the
cordon so you can see the bombsite.
Merry Christmas. Come on, boys.
Chop chop, Jack.
'Tis the season to be jolly!
The party gave me a headache.
What are you doing, Timothy?
I'm looking at my tongue.
The cherryade turned it red.
Yvonne?
It's all right.
There's nothing happening.
Just couldn't sleep.
Well, that's quite normal
at this stage.
It's usually Alan
tossing and turning.
How is he?
Exhausted, I reckon.
Gets him like this once in a while.
Malaria brings it on.
Or bad things happening.
We manage.
You really understand him,
don't you?
He understands me.
We do most things together.
Always did.
Ever since Scottish dancing.
Except when he went to Korea.
I always think... if I could've
gone, if it had been me, too...
I wish I could've shared
the things that hurt him.
Cos then I could share the things
that hurt him now.
And the pain would be halved.
Cos that's what sharing does.
That's what love does.
Yes.
Here we go, chaps. Sir. Sir.
Major Fawcett.
Looking very good, sir,
if I may say.
Couldn't quite do all the buttons up. Rather
too much pipe and slippers, I'm afraid.
Comes to us all. Yes.
If we're lucky.
A man? In a delivery room?
A man present at the birth
of his child.
Alan and Yvonne have shared
everything that matters
since they were tiny children,
so why shouldn't they share the most
profound and precious thing of all?
Nurse Lee,
quite apart from any other concerns,
Alan Bridges is emotionally unwell.
But by seeing his baby being born
and supporting Yvonne,
it could really help him.
Your concern does you credit,
but he will be helped in due course,
and in the proper way.
I'm sorry, Sister, I really am,
but in the modern world,
who's to say what's the proper way?
Well, it's not dragging
a man in where he doesn't belong!
We think he does belong there.
He's weak, and ashamed,
and he needs to know
he has the strength to support
his wife, and protect his child.
And what about the mother, Nurse?
What about your patient?
I think, deep down,
she needs to know that too!
Oh, you do, do...
Nurse Lee, and Nurse Franklin.
I suggest you both go
and look at the log book.
However upside
down the world seems to be,
we still have calls to make
and patients to look after.
♪ O little town of Bethlehem
♪ How still we see thee lie... ♪
Sing out, Jack!
Show the little ones how it's done.
♪ Above thy deep
and dreamless sleep... ♪
Urgh!
Oh, dear.
One last quick visit
to the surgery,
then it's the barber's for us two.
Meanwhile, Auntie Shelagh's
gone up west.
Something to do with her
outfit for the wedding.
Women.
Eat up and get dressed, son.
Hello. Turner speaking.
I see...
I have to go
to the rescue centre.
I'll be back as soon as I can.
But what about the barber's? You
said we were going to go together.
And you said I could have Brylcreem.
We'll go tomorrow,
first thing in the morning.
And tonight I will take you
for a fry-up, at Capriani's caff.
It can be our stag do.
Stag do?
Well, you are going to be my best
man, aren't you?
Really?
I need somebody to keep me in order.
Shiny shoes, ironed shirt,
best bib and tucker.
I wouldn't have anyone else.
Once upon a time,
we thought the 17 Type fuse had
a maximum life of 80 hours.
What we didn't realise was that
the clocks were often faulty.
If they jammed, and the bomb was
preserved in the cold,
the electrical charge wouldn't
last for hours, but years.
I once saw one go off so viciously
and with so little warning
that we found my sergeant's tunic
button embedded in a door two streets away.
Nothing else was left.
It's all right, Jack.
Doctor will be finished in a moment.
Can you wiggle your toes for me?
You were right to send for me.
Keep him isolated,
while I arrange an ambulance.
Just so you know,
we do part exchange,
if you want to push the boat out
and go for something fancier.
Have you considered
ballerina length?
You've got a lovely pair of ankles.
You really ought to be showing them
off, maybe with a satin stiletto?
I'm not sure.
Is it usual,
for a bride to go off her dress?
It happens.
But once you do a bit of prodding,
you usually find that
what's really going on is that
they've gone off the groom.
Would you put the original dress
back in its box, please?
There's plenty of stock
you haven't looked at yet.
We've got three designs inspired
by Princess Grace of Monaco,
though we normally only recommend
those for the, er, taller bride.
No. Thank you.
As you wish.
Polio?
We won't know for sure
until after the lumbar puncture.
But half the children still aren't
vaccinated, and in overcrowded
conditions like these,
the virus could spread quickly.
It could spread like wildfire.
I'm calling the Chief Medical
Officer to say we want them
all back in their own homes,
and the vaccinations expedited.
I wonder if you're dithering
because you came in on your own.
Most people bring their mothers.
My mother died when I was a child.
That's a shame.
Brides need mothers.
How else are you going to
get your veil on straight?
I'm wearing a hat, not a veil.
Oh.
Have you got any sisters?
No.
Oh.
I'm sorry, this is urgent.
I'm trying to avert
a potential epidemic.
'Would you like to hold?' No. I
would like to be connected, please.
Hello?
Timothy?
Timothy!
Timothy?
Wake up.
Timothy, dearest.
Can you sit up for me?
Timothy. I need you to sit up.
Come on. Stir your stumps.
Can't.
Timothy, can you wiggle your toes?
Stand back, please, Mother.
Please. I'm a trained nurse.
I've seen polio before.
Let's leave the diagnosis
to the doctors, shall we?
I keep thinking of all the things
I should've done.
Or shouldn't have done.
The things I should have spotted
but I didn't.
Your immunities protected him
throughout infancy
and early childhood.
He carried them with him,
like a shield, for years.
But immunity wears off.
And you are not to blame.
But I'm not his mother.
I should have taken greater care,
not less.
If you are not immediate family,
I'm afraid you shouldn't be in here.
There are rules, and as a nurse,
you should know that.
I'll be a footstep away. That's all.
He can't clear his throat!
You must leave.
Shelagh! I'm sorry.
I'm so, so sorry.
Are you the father?
Yes.
The machine is breathing for him.
He's not currently able to do that
on his own.
I understand. I'm his GP, too.
Of course.
You sent in the other young lad.
Jack Smith?
Polio. Mild dose.
He's out of bed and giving cheek.
Timothy?
Timothy?
I suggest we take it
one hour at a time.
He may recover the ability
to breathe.
Respiration is not always
permanently impaired.
I know that.
I know all the facts, but...
Just now, they're no help to me
at all.
♪ In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust
♪ Let me never be ashamed
♪ Deliver me in Thy righteousness
♪ Into Thy hands I commend my spirit
♪ Thou hast redeemed me
O Lord God of truth.
♪ Bow down Thine ear to me
Deliver me speedily
♪ Be Thou my strong rock
For an house of defence to save me
♪ For Thou art my rock
and my fortress
♪ O most loving God
♪ Therefore, for Thy name's sake
♪ Lead me and guide me
♪ Pull me out of the net
that they have laid privily for me
♪ For Thou art my strength
♪ Make Thine face to shine upon me
♪ In my hour of need. ♪
You're to stay here tonight.
In the morning, I will telephone
the vicar and tell him
that your wedding has been postponed
for several weeks, and why.
What about the witnesses? And the
flowers? Patrick ordered roses.
I will deal with all of that, too.
It will be no trouble.
Your plans were so simple.
I kept everything as small
and quiet as I could.
Is that what you really wanted?
I don't know.
I know I couldn't quite face
the fact that it was happening.
And now it isn't,
and I think my heart is breaking.
Your marriage will take place.
It is meant to.
We will pray for your new family
in the meanwhile,
especially for Timothy.
I'm so very glad that you came
to us.
Are you?
Did you believe for one moment that
we wouldn't want you here tonight?
That we wouldn't welcome you
with open arms?
I turned my back on you, Sister.
I walked away.
I became someone else.
No, you didn't, Shelagh.
You found joy.
And I've never questioned it.
There is no joy now.
But there is love.
And it's Christmas.
Have courage.
Good luck, Sir.
Thank you for all your help.
Sir.
Right back, now.
I'm on my own,
and that's as it should be.
I've been having these
bloomin' twinges since yesterday.
It can't be normal.
It's perfectly normal, I'm afraid.
Your body just seems to be
going into labour rather slowly.
I want to go home.
I want to have it there.
I want you to have it there too,
Yvonne.
You won't send me
to the maternity home? No.
Nurse Franklin and I
have plans for this baby.
So you tell it to stay put!
It's ticking.
Get down! Get down!
Get down!
All's well that ends well.
Well, that brought back
a few memories.
Man the urns!
We shall all be wanting tea!
You all right, Chummy?
I don't know.
I don't know what's
happened to Peter.
Help!
Help!
Alan! Stay calm.
Never mind me. Help her.
Yvonne, breathe through it.
Breathe through it.
That's it, breathe.
Please don't send him out the room.
Don't worry. We won't.
..near your house, was it?
Ladies and gentlemen!
The bomb has been detonated, and the
damage was not as great as we had feared.
The Army are lifting the cordon,
street by street.
You're heading home!
Merry Christmas!
It's scarcely a five-minute walk.
You may well find you get all the way home
without having a single contraction.
Can you hear my slippers
squelching?
They're sopping wet with tea.
Believe me, sweetie, you're lucky they're
not sopping wet with something else.
Trixie!
Don't look so shocked, Alan.
You'll hear a lot
worse before the day is out.
So, Sister, all present and correct.
These bulbs are very
far from present and correct.
I had hoped they might perceive
the frisson of the dynamite.
Organic matter ought to be
receptive to vibrations.
Oh, heavens to Murgatroyd! What now?
Mr Jesmond?
We were told it was safe to return.
Sorry, Sister, but the building
was already fragile.
Fragile, my foot. They told us it was
falling down when we moved in,
and it's still standing!
It was the impact of the bomb.
The explosion was angled in such a way that
it ripped right through the foundation.
It could come down at any minute.
Been a while since I've wanted
Adolf Hitler's guts for garters.
But I'd cheerfully
dance on his grave today.
Poplar was doing so well.
It was recovering from the war,
it was being rebuilt.
There was so much hope,
so much work for us to do.
Still is.
Always will be.
He'll have a reason for all of this.
Brylcreem.
Brylcreem?
Fetch the nurse.
Good. I can't do it!
Yes, you can. You can.
Push for me. That's it. Good. Good.
Come on!
Good girl. Good girl.
Well done. Your baby's head is born.
You've done the hard part
now, Yvonne.
The next big push,
we're going to meet this baby.
Are you ready?
The baby's turning.
Can you feel that, Yvonne?
I'm so proud of you.
Here we go.
Good. That's good. Good. Good.
Keep going.
There's a girl. Keep going.
Good girl!
This is your baby, Alan.
This blood is beautiful.
We... made this.
We did it together.
Am I breathing, Dad?
Yes, son.
Yes. You are.
In you come, sisters.
'We ate our turkey at
separate tables that year.
'Our community was scattered,
but not to the four winds.
'We were offered refuge,
'separately and together
in temporary lodgings across Poplar.
'Christmas turned to New Year,
'and New Year to early spring.
'And it was Chummy
who found her new home first.
'Whilst the rest of us hoped,
'and resumed our work
as best we could.
'And when Nonnatus House was
demolished,
'we heard its dying fall
only in the distance.'
I think lace is perfect for a bride.
You won't regret it for a moment.
I couldn't be more thrilled,
but what about my grey dress?
Fear not. It'll have its moment.
I never saw a more perfect
going-away outfit.
I've never worn
nail polish in my life.
It's only pink,
and we're only practising.
Open wide.
And bat.
You get it, Chummy.
You're the lady of the house.
Ah, beautiful.
Now, be bold. Glasses or no glasses?
Glasses.
I'd quite like to see the groom.
I had failed to
divine their purpose.
They have bloomed when the Lord
ordained that they should do so.
Timothy, are you ready?
I'm scared people will laugh.
Weddings are about love, Tim.
And love is... beautiful,
and serious,
and if people smile,
it's because they're glad.
Now, did you remember the rings?
They're in my pocket.
Because I remembered something too.
Brylcreem.
Why don't you give him to me?
'Sometimes,
Christmas is not a still point.
'Snow swirls and melts away,
'and the day doesn't offer up
the peace that we imagined.
'But in the darkness, seeds awake,
'and green shoots unfurl
towards the light.'
You should be giving me away.
You should be walking with me.
You belong to no-one but yourself.
And you know exactly
where you're going.
♪ You are the breathless hush... ♪
'Fate might shake us,
but our roots run deep.'
Ready?
'And we have love to water them.
'And so we bloom
where we are planted.'
♪ You are the angel glow... ♪
'Turning our faces to the sun.'
♪ That lights a star
♪ The dearest things I know
♪ Are what you are
♪ Someday
♪ My happy arms will hold you
♪ And someday I'll know
♪ That moment divine
♪ When all the things you are
♪ Are mine